Don’t Just Listen

Apr 28, 2023

Some of you may remember the year I made the worst decision of my adult life.

I had just gotten married, moved into our new apartment, gotten our dog, and I decided to cap off the year of change by completely bleaching my hair blonde. No, not NSYNC frosted, not a little streak to show how edgy I am, not a dirty blonde like a surfer living in the ocean. Full on, platinum bright blonde. Why? The world may never know.

What followed this decision was a constant feeling of people looking at me. All I could wonder was what they thought about my hair. I would stand on stage on Sunday wondering if people thought I looked ridiculous. I would stand in front of the mirror questioning my life decisions. I spent so much time wondering what people would think of me.

Whether you decided to have a crisis of identity and bleach your hair, or simply walked out the front door after looking in the mirror, you probably put a large amount of effort into wondering what people assume about you.

A few years back, I heard the song, “Christ Be Magnified.” At first glance, it was just another solid worship song, good chords, good lyrics, good melody. And then I really listened to the bridge. Those words in that moment cut to the core of who I am, and what motivates me.

I won’t bow to idols.

I won’t be formed by feelings.

If the cross brings transformation, you can hang me there with you.

- Cody Carnes, Cory Asbury and Ethan Hulse, songwriters

These words stopped me in my tracks. These lyrics demanded my attention.

These lyrics begged me to ask myself, “Do people say I’m this kind of person?”

The mind and heart are deceitful. They can lead us to believe that we are more inline with the ways of Jesus than we care to admit to ourselves. However, when faced with such a bold statement, I have to ask if I can truthfully proclaim it.

James 1:22-24 says…

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

- James 1:22-24

The scriptures are full of challenges and commands that feel like very tall orders to fulfill. But at the end of the day, I have to ask myself if I am formed more by my feelings, or by the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I have to assess if I listen more to my bank account than I do God’s truth in my life.

I have to wonder, if I’m faced with the opportunity to be transformed by Jesus, am I willing to pay the price?

We have all heard the songs, listened to a sermon, and read the words, but do we actually let it impact how we live? Would someone describe you as a deeply formed Christ follower?

Every time I hear or sing that song, my prayer is that those words would be more true about me today than they were the day before. The only way that happens is by being in the presence of Jesus. You’ve already started your day off strong, don’t give up, keep pressing in.